Scattered Research Notes

by Tom Hull

This is just a scribble-pad for some research notes collected during the writing of the essays. No attempt has been made to put these into any sort of coherent order.

Previous poll placements:

1. Tyshawn Sorey: 3 (2017), 4 (2022, 2023), 5 (2022), 11 (2019,2024), 14 (2014,2018), 16 (2016), 17 (2011), 32 (2007), 34 (2020), 37 (2009) + 2 co-credits: 2 (2021), 39 (2010)
2. Tomeka Reid: 3 (2019), 8 (2021), 14 (2024), 50 (2015) + 2 co-credits: 28 (2015), 41 (2023)
3. Adam O'Farrill: 26 (2021), 32 (2018)
4. Ahmed: 10 (2024), 28 (2025); Pat Thomas: 31 (2025)
5. Ambrose Akinmusire: 2 (2011,2020), 3 (2014,2025), 5 (2018), 10 (2017), 38 (2023), 39 (2023)
5. Mary Halvorson: 1 (2022,2025), 3 (2010), 4 (2016,2020,2024), 7 (2015), 8 (2018), 10 (2013), 21 (2008,2022), 26 (2012), 50 (2014) + side credits: 12 (2025), 18 (2021); Thumbscrew: 10 (2018), 14 (2020), 21 (2014), 42 (2022)
6. Bill Frisell: 9 (2008), 11 (2006,2009), 19 (2017), 21 (2019), 25 (2022), 26 (2018), 36 (2013), 42 (2024), 44 (2020), 47 (2019) + side credits: 9 (2009), 19 (2012)
7. Immanuel Wilkins: 2 (2022), 11 (2020), 12 (2024)
8. Angelika Niescier: 38 (2018), 41 (2023)
9. Jeff Parker: 10 (2020), 19 (2024), 28 (2022), 42 (2016)
10. Mark Turner: 5 (2014), 22 (2025), 40 (2018), 46 (2023) + side credits: 6 (2025)
11. Marta Sanchez: 19 (2022)
12. James Brandon Lewis: 1 (2021,2023), 9 (2025), 18 (2019), 21 (2024), 23 (2025), 26 (2023), 30 (2021), 37 (2022), 39 (2014), 46 (2018), 49 (2020); Messthetics: 15 (2024), also 15 (2026MY)
13. Craig Taborn: 2 (2013), 4 (2017), 5 (2011), 13 (2025), 20 (2021) + side credits: 5 (2019), 37 (2019)
14. Joe Lovano: 3 (2009,2011), 5 (2007, with Hank Jones), 7 (2008), 10 (2006), 13 (2013), 16 (2019), 36 (2021, with Dave Douglas) 46 (2018, with Douglas) + side credits: 33 (2022, with Jakob Bro), 36 (2019, with Enrico Rava); not in top 10 since 2011
15. The Messthetics: see James Brandon Lewis
16. Dave Douglas: 7 (2013), 14 (2009), 22 (2012), 29 (2015), 37 (2006), 48 (2014, with Uri Caine), 49 (2024) + side credits 36 (2021, with Joe Lovano), 46 (2018, with Lovano); not in top 10 since 2013
17. Melissa Aldana: 18 (2022), 32 (2024), 34 (2019), 37 (2016), 44 (2014)
18. Harriet Tubman: 34 (2017), 36 (2018)
18. Georgia Muldrow: none
19. Miles Okazaki: 13 (2018), 43 (2022), 49 (2019)
20. Ben Wendel: none
40. Myra Melford: 7 (2018,2022), 10 (2023), 13 (2007, Trio M), 14 (2010), 15 (2015), 19 (2025), 29 (2013)
40. Satoko Fujii: 31 (2018,2022)

James Brandon Lewis: Intakt releases: 2025 (9), 2024 (21), 2022 (37), 2020 (30), 2020 (49); Anti: 2025 (23), 2023 (26); Impulse! (Messthetics): 2024 (15); TAO Forms: 2023 (1), 2021 (1); Relative Pitch: 2019 (18); OFF: 2018 (46); Okeh: 2014 (39).

Adam O'Farrill, For These Streets, dropped from 13 in the 2025 mid-year to 54 in the eoy (from 15 votes to 7).

Ivo Perelman: 49, 117 (2), (1).

Sorey appeared on 35.4% of albums; Reid on 34.6%, O'Farrill on 23.6%, and Ahmed on 15.7%. The 35.4% is higher than any EOY share since 2020 (Maria Schneider, 36.2%) and 2017 (Vijay Iyer, 38.6%). Not sure about mid-year polls: 2024 (Vijay Iyer, 30.0%), 2025 (Steve Helman, 30.9%).

2025 mid-year vs. 2025 eoy: Steve Lehman (1:6), Mary Halvorson (2:1), Nels Cline (3:10), Ambrose Akinmusire (4:3), James Brandon Lewis (5:9), Sylvie Courvosier & Mary Halvorson (6:12) Branford Marsalis (7:11), Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith (8:8), Amina Claudine Myers (9:5), Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp (10:14). Adds: Patricia Brennan (2), Linda May Han Oh (37:4), Fieldwork (7), Craig Taborn (13), Webber/Morris (15), Isaiah Collier (14:16), Sullivan Fortner (19:17), Miguel Zenon (18), Myra Melford (17:19), Charles Lloyd (20).

2024 mid-year vs. 2024 eoy: Vijay Iyer (1:2), Charles Lloyd (2:3), Mary Halvorson (3:4), Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers (4:5), Tomeka Reid (5:14), David Murray (6:9), James Brandon Lewis (7:21; Messthetics from 16:15), Matthew Shipp (8:7), Fay Victor (9:23), Ahmed (10,10). Adds: Patricia Brennan (1), Kris Davis (6), Darius Jones (8), Tyshawn Sorey (11), Immanuel Wilkins (12), Kenny Barron (24:13), The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis (16:15), Steve Coleman (16), Kahil El'Zabar (22:17), Tarbaby (128:18), Jeff Parker (19), Allen Lowe (20).

Albums I marked with "rm!" (67/137); albums I marked with "m!" (232/462). These are records that were not in the tracking file when they first appeared on a ballot. All of those records were unheard at the time, but many have been heard since. The following concerns records in the tracking file as of 07-12: Albums marked "m" or "rm" and rated: A-: 63, B+(***): 93, B+(**): 81, B+(*): 42, B: 7, B-: 1. That leaves 303 albums unheard (some from 2025).

Lists of jazz musicians who have received MacArthur Fellows Program "genius grant" awards. Still active (17):

Also classical/experimental: Colin Nancarrow (1982), Ralph Shapey (1982), Milton Babbitt (1986), George Perle (1986), Charles Wuorinen (1986), John Harbison (1989), Gunther Schuller (1991). Bright Sheng (2001), Stephen Hough (2001), Edgar Meyer (2002), Osvaldo Golijov (2003), Others: Bernice Johnson Reagon (1989), Ali Akbar Khan (1991), Marion Williams (1993), Reginald R. Robinson (2004), Corey Harris (2007), Dawn Upshaw (2007), Walter Kitundu (2008), Leila Josefowicz (2008), Chris Thile (2012), Jeremy Denk (2013), Rhiannon Giddens (2017), Vijay Gupta (2018), Fred Moten (2020), Martha Gonzalez (2022).

Albums released in June that got votes:

• June 26:
  12. James Brandon Lewis Quartet, Omni (Intakt) 23.2 (13)
  19. Miles Okazaki, Boomtown (Pi) 18.3 (12)
  30. Cécile McLorin Salvant, With Every Breath I Take (Nonesuch) 16 (8)
  51. Alden Hellmuth, Tether (Leiter) 8 (5)
  54. Nduduzo Makhathini, The Myth We Choose (Blue Note) 7.6 (5)
  62. Patricia Brennan & Sylvie Courvoisier, Talamanti (Antlia) 7.4 (4)
  65. Steve Swallow, Winter Songs (ECM)
  73. SML, Spontaneous Music Live (International Anthem) 7 (3)
  102. Barcelona Art Orchestra & Miguel Zenón, Expressions: Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (Miel Music) 4.8 (2)
  117. Camila Nebbia & Chris Corsano, Six or Seven Ways Towards Becoming Undone (Relative Pitch) 3.4 (2)
  216. Onilu, Jakuta's Dance (577) 1.8 (1)
  253. Mané Fernandes, sQuigg: playground_etiQuette (Porta Jazz) 1.4 (1)
  299. Lisa Rich, I Still Rise (Tritone) 1.2 (1)
  346. Lisa Stick, Live at Loft (Unit) 1 (1)
• June 19:
  60. Micah Thomas, Lucid (Birdwatcher) 7.6 (4)
  64. The Phoenix Trio, Tomorrow Is Today (Giant Step Arts) 6.4 (4)
  79. Josh Berman Trio, Everybody Else's Life Too (Corbett vs. Dempsey) 5.4 (3)
  127. Hannah Gill, I Like the Sunrise (Turtle Bay) 3.1 (2)
  149. Sam Barsh - Mark Guiliana - Keyon Harold, Straight08 (La Reserve) 2.3 (2)
  299. Soojin Suh, Prism of Existence (Endectomorph Music) 1.2 (1)
  346. Leigh Pilzer, Keep Holding On (Strange Woman) 1 (1)
• Your Brother's Keeper & Gary Bartz, Where Rivers Meet (Brownswood) 1 (1)
• June 12:
  5. Ambrose Akinmusire & Mary Halvorson, Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings (Nonesuch) 32 (18)
  50. Helen Sung Big Band, Oracles (Sunnyside) 8.1 (5)
  99. Kalia Vandever, Mana (International Anthem) 3.1 (3)
  133. Duchess, A Marvelous Party (Anzic) 2.8 (2)
  172. Mariam Wallentin & Vestnorsk Jazzensemble, Spring Flood (Hubro) 3 (1)
  186. Hannah Marks, Feed the Fire (Endectomorph Music) 2.4 (1)
  253. Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Ellington Masterworks (MCG Jazz) 1.4 (1)
  325. Frankfurt Radio Big Band - Nils Wogram - Jim McNeely, Trilogue + 15: A Tribute to Albert Mangelsdorff (ACT Music) 1.1 (1)
  325. Wrens, Live @ NUBLU (Out of Your Head) 1.1 (1)
  346. Ize Trio, Global Prayer (self-released) 1 (1)
• June 5:
  34. Steven Bernstein/Scotty Hard, ResoNation Trio/Ultra Resonance (Royal Potato Family) 10.2 (8)
  36. Lakecia Benjamin, We Dream (Artwork) 12 (7)
  71. Chuck Bergeron, Bass & Face: Duets With Ten Premier Vocalists (Summit) 5.4 (4)
  114. Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (Exit) Knarr, Fly (Sauajazz) 3.6 (2)
  346. Gustavo Cortinas, The Drum Also Sings (Desafio Candente) 1 (1)
  346. Sharada Shashidhar, A Foot on the Ground (Colorfield) 1 (1)
  346. Teiku, Klang (Ginkgo) 1 (1)

We should also mention albums with release dates in July and later [in brackets]:

67. Ran Blake & Dominique Eade, Roots & Byways (Sunnyside) 5.8 (4) [07-03]
149. Ballister + Luke Stewart, Clocking the Wheel (Aerophonic) 2.3 (2) [07-10]
186. Satoko Fujii's Bunker Ulmenwall Orchestra (2014, Libra) 2.4 (1) [07-10]
200. Henry Threadgill - Vijay Iyer - Dafnis Prieto, Fifteen (Nonesuch) 2 (1) [08-21]
232. Paal Nilssen-Love & Terrie Ex, What?! (Terp) 1.6 (1) [07-10]
253. Elias Stemeseder & Thomas Morgan, Io Pur Respiro (Squama) 1.4 (1) [07-10]
273. Mike Khoury - Jason Kao Hwang - Ben Hall - Andrew Drury, Spite of Darkness (Entropy Stereo) 1.3 (1) [07-24]
299. The Paul Carlon Trio, Between Us Three (TRRcollective) 1.2 (1) [07-17]
325. Kemuel Roig, 3Discovery (Life in Music) 1.1 (1) [07-17]
325. Henry Threadgill Zooid, Cut You Where You Was (Pi) 1.1 (1) [08-28]
346. Marc Copland, String Theory (Inner Voice Jazz) 1 (1) [07-17]
346. Christopher Dammann, Dead Words (Shifting Paradigm) 1 (1) [07-17]
346. Fathers, Fathers (Blue Note) 1 (1) [07-10]
346. Conrad Herwig, The Latin Side of Chick Corea (Savant) 1 (1) [07-03]
346. Skúli Sverrisson & Bill Frisell, For All Your Flowers (Newvelle) 1 (1) [08-01]

Other Notes

I moved this out of the New essay, as I'm not really doing this kind of analysis there anymore. It was tied to something in the Critics essay, where I may want to return it. But for now, it is here.

In 2006, Ornette Coleman, Sound Grammar, appeared on 24 of 30 ballots (80%), a huge margin over the next three albums, by Andrew Hill (43.3%), Sonny Rollins (36.6%), and Nels Cline (23.3%). That Hill's share is the third largest in history (behind Maria Schneider's 45.4% in 2007), and that Rollins' share would have won most years, is largely due to the much smaller number of voters in 2006 (30, vs. 58 in 2007, 79 in 2008, 99 in 2009, and 120 in 2010). But after this initial effect, adding more voters doesn't seem to have had much effect on winner votes shares. It probably has more effect on the distribution of votes farther down the list, especially as it adds more albums that receive only one or two votes.